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Kirill Petrenko to take over Berlin Philharmonic in 2019

FILE - In this March 6, 2014 file photo musical director Kirill Petrenko, left, and theatre manager Nikolaus Bachler of the Bavarian state opera speak during a press conference in Munich, southern Germany. Kirill Petrenko has agreed to stay on as musical director at the Bavarian State Opera beyond 2018, and is expected to divide his time between the Munich job and his future post as the Berlin Philharmonic’s chief conductor. (Sven Hoppe/dpa via AP, file) FILE - In this March 6, 2014 file photo musical director Kirill Petrenko, left, and theatre manager Nikolaus Bachler of the Bavarian state opera speak during a press conference in Munich, southern Germany. Kirill Petrenko has agreed to stay on as musical director at the Bavarian State Opera beyond 2018, and is expected to divide his time between the Munich job and his future post as the Berlin Philharmonic’s chief conductor. (Sven Hoppe/dpa via AP, file)

By Associated Press October 13, 2015 1 min read

BERLIN (AP) – Kirill Petrenko will take over as chief conductor at the Berlin Philharmonic in 2019, and will do the new job alongside his existing role as the Bavarian State Opera’s musical director for the first two years.

The Philharmonic in June chose the Russian-born Petrenko to succeed chief conductor Simon Rattle, who is leaving in 2018. The orchestra initially left open when he would start.

On Tuesday, it said Petrenko will take over at the beginning of the 2019-2020 season but will give a reduced number of concerts in his first year because of his duties at the Bavarian State Opera.

Petrenko will remain the Munich opera house’s musical director until August 2020, and will be a guest conductor there in the 2020-21 season.